Thailand and Cambodia Exchange Fire in Deadly Border Clash – The Wall Street Journal
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
China Reacts to Deadly Thailand, Cambodia Border Fight
Thailand launched airstrikes against forces from Cambodia on Thursday in a major escalation of tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors. 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed by Cambodian shelling, while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded, Reuters reported. Tensions along Cambodia’s northern border, which is poorly demarcated in many places, have been simmering since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. The neighbors share a 508-mile (818-kilometer) land border, many parts of which are disputed, so more clashes could occur.Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
China has expressed its concern after Thailand launched airstrikes against forces from Cambodia along their disputed border on Thursday in a major escalation of tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors.
“We are deeply concerned with the ongoing developments and hope that the two sides will properly address issues through dialogue and consultation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing in Beijing on Thursday, July 24.
Why It Matters
Thailand and Cambodia are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which aims to promote economic cooperation in the fast-growing region where the United States and China have competed for influence for years.
China has good relations with both countries but is particularly close to Cambodia, where the government has given the Chinese navy access to a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand, close to the disputed South China Sea, where China has extensive claims.
Thai Army armored vehicles are seen on a road in Thailand’s Chachoengsao province following the outbreak of hostilities with Cambodia on July 24, 2025. Thai Army armored vehicles are seen on a road in Thailand’s Chachoengsao province following the outbreak of hostilities with Cambodia on July 24, 2025. Lillian SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images
What To Know
The two sides blamed each other for starting the clashes on Thursday, with Thailand saying its F-16 jets bombed two Cambodian military headquarters after Cambodian forces used heavy artillery to target a Thai military base.
“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army spokesperson, Richa Suksuwanon, told reporters.
Clashes were reported in at least six locations along the border.
Thailand’s health ministry said 11 civilians, including a child, and one soldier were killed by Cambodian shelling, while 24 civilians and seven military personnel were wounded, Reuters reported.
Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Manet denounced in a statement what he called Thailand’s “unprovoked and premeditated military aggression.”
Cambodian troops had no option but to respond in self-defense, he said.
Unverified video clips posted on social media showed Cambodian forces firing a truck-mounted multiple-rocket launcher.
Thailand said it was recalling the Thai ambassador to Cambodia and told Cambodia to recall its ambassador in Bangkok.
Cambodia’s foreign ministry said Thailand’s air strikes were “unprovoked” and called on its neighbor to withdraw “refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation.”
The Thais and Cambodians have been rivals for centuries and border disputes have been common. Tensions along Cambodia’s northern border, which is poorly demarcated in many places, have been simmering since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash.
What People are Saying
The Thai foreign ministry said in a statement: “The Royal Thai Government urges Cambodia to cease its repeated act which constitutes a severe violation of international law. Such actions fundamentally contradict the principles of good neighborly relations and good faith, and will further undermine Cambodia’s reputation and credibility on the global stage.”
A Cambodian defense minstry spokesman, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, said in a July 23 statement: “Cambodia stands fully prepared to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of our citizens—without allowing any foreign country to encroach on our territory under any circumstances, and at any cost.”
What Happens Next
The neighbors share a 508-mile (818-kilometer) land border, many parts of which are disputed, so more clashes could occur.
China has called for Thailand and Cambodia to hold talks.
Thailand, Cambodia clash with jets, rockets, artillery in deadly border row
Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian. The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet. The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight. Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of Surin and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey. The border row also kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where prime minister Paetongongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct. The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy in protest after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.
The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.
The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.
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The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.
Six jets were deployed from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground”, according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon.
The Thai prime minister’s office said a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.
Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of Surin and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey.
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“The Thai military violated the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces stationed to defend the nation’s sovereign territory,” defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement.
“In response, the Cambodian armed forces exercised their legitimate right to self-defence, in full accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion and protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Thai military blamed Cambodian soldiers for firing first, and later accused them of a “targeted attack on civilians”, saying two BM-21 rockets had hit a community in Surin’s Kap Choeng district, wounding three people.
According to the Thai military, the clashes began around 7:35 am (0035 GMT) when a unit guarding Ta Muen temple heard a Cambodian drone overhead.
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Later, six armed Cambodian soldiers, including one carrying a rocket-propelled grenade, approached a barbed-wired fence in front of the Thai post, the army said.
Thai soldiers shouted to warn them, the army said, but around 8:20 am, Cambodian forces opened fire toward the eastern side of the temple, about 200 metres from the Thai base.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said “the situation requires careful handling, and we must act in accordance with international law”.
“We will do our best to protect our sovereignty,” he said.
Thailand’s embassy in Phnom Penh urged its nationals to leave Cambodia “as soon as possible” unless they had urgent reasons to remain, in a Facebook post.
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– Long-running row –
The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy in protest after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.
Wechayachai said an investigation by the Thai military found evidence that Cambodia had laid new landmines in the disputed border area — a claim denied by Phnom Penh.
On Thursday morning, Cambodia announced it was downgrading ties to “the lowest level”, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.
Recent weeks have seen a series of tit-for-tat swipes by both sides, with Thailand restricting border crossings and Cambodia halting certain imports.
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The border row also kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct.
A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former longtime ruler and father of Prime Minister Hun Manet, was leaked from the Cambodian side, sparking a judicial investigation.
Last week, Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would start conscripting civilians next year, activating a long-dormant mandatory draft law.
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Eleven civilians killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire in escalating border dispute
Eleven Thai civilians and a soldier have been killed in clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. An eight-year-old boy was among those killed in Si Sa Ket province. Another 14 people have been injured in three Thai border provinces. Both countries accuse one another of starting the military clashes and have downgraded their diplomatic relations in the rapidly escalating dispute. Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, according to Thailand’s army. The clash happened in an area where the ancient Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple stands along the border between Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province. Cambodia downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelled the Thai ambassador and recalled all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. Thailand has also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia.
Among those killed was an eight-year-old boy, the army said in a statement.
It said most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a fuel station.
Another 14 people have been injured in three Thai border provinces.
Thailand’s health minister Somsak Thepsuthin confirmed the fatalities to reporters, adding Cambodia’s actions, including an attack on a hospital, should be considered war crimes.
Both countries accuse one another of starting the military clashes and have downgraded their diplomatic relations in the rapidly escalating dispute. Thailand has also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia.
Early on Thursday, a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, according to Thailand’s army.
“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon said.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thai jets had dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, saying it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.
Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, the Thai defence ministry said.
Thailand’s foreign ministry said Cambodian troops fired “heavy artillery” on a Thai military base on Thursday morning and also targeted civilian areas, including a hospital.
“The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement.
A livestream video from Thailand’s side showed people, including children and the elderly, running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded.
The clash happened in an area where the ancient Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple stands along the border between Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.
Thailand’s acting premier said fighting must first stop before peace talks can start.
Caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters there had been no declaration of war and conflict was not spreading into more provinces.
He said Cambodia had fired heavy weapons into Thailand without any specific targets, resulting in civilian deaths.
Earlier on Thursday, Cambodia downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelled the Thai ambassador and recalled all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok.
The day before, its neighbour withdrew its ambassador and expelled the top Cambodian diplomat in protest after five Thai soldiers were wounded in a land mine blast, one of whom lost part of a leg.
A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers, including one who lost a foot.
Relations between the southeast Asian neighbours have collapsed after a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation in a disputed border area in May.
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Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation, and Thailand’s prime minister was suspended earlier this month as an investigation was opened into possible ethics violations over her handling of the border dispute.
Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area.
(c) Sky News 2025: Eleven civilians killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire in escalating border dispute
Asian leaders call for calm over deadly Cambodia-Thailand border clashes
Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on July 24 as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing at least 11 civilians. The developments have caused concern among countries in Asia, with leaders urging calm and swift de-escalation. Malaysia currently holds the chairmanship of Asean and hopes Cambodia and Thailand will return to the negotiating table. China is deeply concerned over the current developments and hopes both sides can properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations. Japan urges both Cambodia and Thai to exercise maximum restraint and strongly hopes that the tension between the two countries will be eased peacefully through dialogue. The United Nations Children’s Fund”s regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, Ms June Kunugi, called on all parties to protect children.
Smoke billowing from the roof of a convenience store attached to a petrol station in Sisaket province in Thailand after it was hit by a rocket strike from Cambodia.
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– Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on July 24 as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing at least 11 civilians, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.
The developments have caused concern among countries in Asia, with leaders urging calm and swift de-escalation.
Here are the reactions.
Malaysia
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has sent messages to the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand, hoping to speak with them personally on July 24 , reported the New Straits Times. Malaysia currently holds the chairmanship of Asean.
“The situation is worrying. They are key members of Asean and close neighbours to Malaysia… At the very least, we hope they will de-escalate tensions and return to the negotiating table,” he said.
“Efforts have been made, but I still firmly believe that peace is the only option.”
Philippines
The Department of Foreign Affairs remained hopeful that Cambodia and Thailand could resolve the issue in accordance with international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
“We urge both parties to extend due consideration and care to innocent civilians who may be affected by the ongoing conflict ,” it said.
“The Philippines does not take any position on this dispute but underscores the importance of maintaining open lines of communication and ensuring the de-escalation of the situation.”
Manila said it is continually monitoring the situation and remains ready to extend all possible assistance to Filipinos living in these two countries if necessary.
To date, no Filipino nationals have been reported to be affected by the conflict, it added.
China
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China is deeply concerned over the current developments and hopes both sides can properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations.
“Good neighbourliness and properly handling differences are in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides,” he said.
Mr Guo said China would adopt a “fair and impartial position” in the clashes.
Beijing “has and will continue to in its own way do its best to promote peace and dialogue, and play a constructive role in promoting the easing and cooling down of the situation”, he added.
Japan
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Japan has been working to encourage both Cambodia and Thailand to de-escalate the situation.
“A sound relationship between Cambodia and Thailand is extremely important for peace and stability in the region,” he said.
“Japan urges both Cambodia and Thailand to exercise maximum restraint and strongly hopes that the tension between the two countries will be eased peacefully through dialogue.”
Unicef
The United Nations Children’s Fund’s regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, Ms June Kunugi, called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and protect children.
“Children must be protected at all times and their safety and well-being must be prioritised while schools must remain safe spaces for learning,” she said.
World leader suspended from office over leaked phone call after deadly border dispute
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office on Tuesday amid an ongoing ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader. The call, which led to widespread backlash and protests, became a flashpoint after a May 2025 incident in which the two countries engaged in a border dispute. After the phone call leaked, the streets of Bangkok were filled with protesters calling for Paetongaar’s ouster. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office on Tuesday amid an ongoing ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader.
“I only thought about what to do to avoid troubles, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, for the soldiers not to suffer any loss. I wouldn’t be able to accept it if I said something with the other leader that could lead to negative consequences,” Paetongtarn said, according to the Associated Press.
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Judges on the country’s Constitutional Court voted unanimously on a petition accusing her of violating ethics, but voted 7–2 to suspend her, the Associated Press reported. Additionally, they gave Paetongtarn just under two weeks — 12 days — to provide the court with evidence.
The suspension comes after a phone call that was allegedly between Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
The call, which led to widespread backlash and protests, became a flashpoint after a May 2025 incident in which the two countries engaged in a border dispute that left one Cambodian soldier dead, according to the Associated Press.
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Cambodian army spokesperson Mao Phalla said the country’s troops were conducting a routine patrol when the Thai troops opened fire, the Associated Press reported. However, the Thai army claimed the Cambodian troops had entered a disputed area and that they were responding to gunfire.
After the phone call leaked, the streets of Bangkok were filled with protesters calling for Paetongtarn’s ouster.
“My true intention in the leaked conversation, my true intention 100%, was to work for the country to maintain our sovereignty and save the lives of all our soldiers,” Paetongtarn reportedly told the press.
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Thailand has seen its share of political upheaval in recent years. Paetongtarn’s predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was dismissed by the court last year over an ethics violation.
Original article source: World leader suspended from office over leaked phone call after deadly border dispute